Facebook has announced that its Instant Games platform is now open for all developers after years of closed beta testing with a select number of developer partners. That means developers will now be able to develop cross-platform games using HTML5. As the Instant Games platform becomes available for all developers, new features are also coming with it that are intended to help developers earn revenues from their games and monitor the growth of their products.
One feature that launches alongside the expanded availability of Instant Games is the ads API, which will be accessible to developers moving forward after it was tested late last year. The ads API is an ads-based monetization system that come in the form of two formats: interstitial and rewarded video ads fueled by Audience Network. Additionally, developers will be able to promote their games and updates across the Instant Games platform using the Game Switch API. Also, developers who want to redirect players to their games beyond the Facebook ecosystem will now be able to do so by creating deep links. Facebook also recently opened up its Monetization Manager solution to Instant Games developers so that they will be able to generate as much profit from their games using optimization tools, handle the placement of ads across games more easily, and enable developers to leverage analytics and reporting tools. Facebook also changed the way its ranking algorithm brings up relevant games based on the player’s recent activities and interests. The goal of the updated ranking algorithm is to help developers reach more players. It will also be possible in the near future for developers to attract a wider set of players by building ad campaigns, with the feature being set for rollout soon.
Finally, on top of the cross-promotion, deep linking, ranking, and ad campaigns, developers can now easily submit and launch games on the platform and allow players to sign up for bot subscriptions. It’s also now easy for them to introduce updates to in-game leaderboards and add homescreen shortcuts. The Instant Games platform was introduced in 2016 in closed beta, with almost 200 games having been developed during the testing period. The platform also recently gained a number of features during the closed beta period including turn-based gameplay, monetization and livestreaming.